1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method in a telecommunication network, or data communication network, for handling incoming call requests. It is assumed that subscribers wish to proceed with different types of communication and data transmission such as voice telephony, sending faxes, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
At the current time, voice telephony and fax service usually occur in switch-based telecommunication networks. A gain in significance of IP-based data communication networks can be registered, however, for the afore-mentioned and for new communication services.
The subscriber usually has a number of possibilities:
A suitable device may be employed for every type of communication data. The effect of this, however, is that the different devices are also given different telephone numbers of addresses. The calling subscriber must therefore store many numbers of addresses for a potential communication partner and must also store the respective allocation to the desired form of communication.
The employment of switch over (referred to as xe2x80x9cfax shuntxe2x80x9d) enables, for example, the operation of a fax device and a telephone at one connection socket and, thus, enables telephoning and sending or receiving faxes over the same telephone number. After the acceptance of the connection, one waits for a specific fax signaling and the call is correspondingly handled further. This, however, is a specific solution that always incurs fees for the calling party since every call is accepted when it is a matter of the transmission of a fax.
The employment of multi-function devices; for example, a PC. Using specific conversion methods, for example, faxes can be converted into electronic mail.
Similar technical solutions like the fax shunt are increasing in significance in telecommunication and data communication networks. In private households, telephone and network PCs are usually connected to the same telephone line wherein there are substantial differences dependent on the modem version or the selected ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) terminal.
Computer-telephony-integration (CTI), for instance according to the telephony application programming interface (TAPI) or the more recent JTAPI (Java Telephony Application Interface) take all standard technical solutions into consideration for connecting a computer and a telephone to the network via the same line. Another possibility is that a computer and a telephone are associated with one another via two different lines or via coupled networks (for instance telephone line and LAN connection in corporation networks).
An object of the present invention is to specify a method wherein messages incoming for a subscriber in a communication network may be respectively forwarded to the most suitable terminal equipment.
Regarding the present invention, a telecommunication or data communication network is particularly composed of network nodes connected to one another. These usually have the possibilities of evaluating the destination address from an incoming message, such as a call request, and forwarding this on the basis of known information.
Given a connection setup request, a finding regarding what teleservice must be involved is already made in the network before the arrival at the destination subscriber. This can occur on the basis of specific signatures that are co-transmitted in the connection setup request and are interpreted by a switching node. The desired destination subscriber can be identified by the destination telephone number or, respectively, destination address. These two pieces of information are then forwarded to a suitable network element in this communication network. This network element then determines whether the selected number is suitable for the type of data transmission. When this is not the case, a xe2x80x9csubstitutexe2x80x9d terminal equipment and the telephone number thereof can be determined wherein the desired connection is then setup thereto.
The critical advantage of this procedure is that communication can be carried out with every subscriber in the network in different ways via a quasi-unambiguous number. The calling party need only know this one number; the correct routing of the party""s call to a suitable terminal equipment is assumed by instances in the network. The sending of faxes, for example, is thus significantly facilitated since, due to the unidirectional transmission from the recipient side, a transmission is always possible. Often, however, the specific number of the fax device or of smoother suitable terminal equipment is not known at the sender side.
Accordingly, means must be present in the telecommunication or data communication network for evaluating an incoming connection or transmission request. In addition to the destination telephone number, the nature of the desired communication also must be capable of being identified. In the network or the terminal equipment, for instance, a stored representation of the required information for evaluation of the determined information additionally exists. What is thereby particularly involved are the individual devices allocated to a subscriber and the characteristics thereof, as well as relationships between devices. On the basis of such information, the connection setup or data transmission request is routed to the most suitable terminal equipmentxe2x80x94insofar as presentxe2x80x94by switching centers in the network.
In the switching according to the inventive method, the central network element or cooperating, decentralized network elements (as in the Internet) are responsible for determining the destination address or telephone number. This determination can occur in various ways. A central data bank that is available to these network elements represents one possibility. This will be particularly employed when a data bank of this type is already present and can be supplemented and expanded with little outlay. The administration of the data bank is usually implemented proceeding from a central location. The access to such a data bank and, thus, the determination of the suitable destination telephone number or address usually occurs very quickly. The consistency of the data is assured due to the central data administration.
In another instance when such a data bank is not available or a frequent modification of the entries with a central administration is to be involved, some other solution of the problem must be found. It can be meaningful then that such information be stored in the terminal equipment. The central network element thereby implements the inquiry for the suitable destination telephone number or address not in a central data bank but at the respective, selected terminal equipment. This occurs in that, using an inquiry, the identified data (type of the data transmission) is transmitted to the terminal equipment which then communicates the desired destination telephone number to the central network element as replied.
The management of the information stored in the terminal equipment thereby can be assumed by the subscribers themselves. Both solutions play a mutually supplementary role, for instance, in computer telephony integration (CTI). The review of the compatibility of calling and called terminal equipment can also occur in various ways.
Additional flags, that point out the technical possibilities that a terminal equipment allocated to a number, can be established in a central data bank of the type already described above. What are particularly meant are the types of telecommunication that this device can handle; i.e., the corresponding teleservice. It is thereby definitely conceivable that one terminal equipment can process various types of teleservices, for instance a telephone with integrated fax device or a PC with the corresponding software. In addition, a software download can be initiated and the terminal equipment can be upgraded to the required functionality. A called terminal equipment is thus compatible with a calling terminal equipment when it can process the teleservice that is requested in the connection setup or data transmission signal.
Another solution would be a xe2x80x9ctest callxe2x80x9d that is implemented by the central network unit at the terminal equipment. An inquiry (as already described above) is implemented again here, wherein the terminal equipment is asked whether it is compatible with a specific data service. This occurs without a connection setup and before either the actual connection setup or the actual data transmission. It is possible that all terminal equipment registered for a specific user are subsequently interrogated in this way and the message/connection is put through to that terminal equipment that is the first to report a compatibility.
Insofar as the communication is a matter of a unidirectional transmission, it is desirable from the viewpoint of the user that he is informed about the arrival of a message for him. This is particularly the case when an inventive rerouting has occurred before the transmission of the message.
Different possibilities are thereby conceivable. First, a determination must be made to where this modification must be sent. The destination subscriber can indicate a basic setting regarding the device at which he would like to receive a notification. Further, it is also conceivable that the notification is sent to the terminal equipment that was the last one used by the requested subscriber; for example, within a time frame.
Also, the form of the notification should be capable of being defined. Many possibilities are likewise conceivable here. First, there is the notification in the form of an announcement; for instance, via a telephone or on a call answering machine. However, various possibilities of visual display are also conceivable, for example at the telephone device of the subscriber in the form of a lamp or a symbol in the display field that lights up as soon as a message is present. Further, of course, the display can also be sent in the form of a short message to a mobile telephone (GSM) or as electronic mail or fax.
A notification function, for instance in the form of an announcement, also can be meaningful at the side of the sender. In that case, for instance, when a transmission cannot be carried out because the receiver does not have a suitable terminal equipment (for example, a fax device or a PC with fax module), the sender receives a brief message with the reason for the failure.
There are numerous central and decentralized solution possibilities in data communication networks. The exchange solutions (storing in the terminal equipment or, respectively, central data bank) were already briefly outlined. Other, distributed solutions are also conceivable.